Cervical cancer mortality in Belgium, 1955-1989. A descriptive study.
This study describes trends in cervical cancer mortality among women in Belgium from 1954 to 1989. Data are analysed by means of the standardised mortality rate, age- and cohort-specific mortality rates and standardised cohort mortality ratios. The age-standardised mortality rate decreased progressively from 6.3/100,000 women-years in the first period (1955-1959) to 3.8/100,000 in 1985-1989, indicating a decline of 39.7% over the seven quinquennial periods. A decrease was observed in almost all age groups between 30 and 69 years. In the last 15 years, no further decline, but even a discrete increase, occurred for the age categories younger than 50 years. The successive cohorts born between 1915 and 1939 expressed a continuing lower risk of cervical cancer mortality. This trend was not observed for the most recent generations, for whom even a slight increase of the standardised cohort mortality ratio could be distinguished.
Vyslouzilova
S
S
Department of Preventive Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Arbyn
M
M
Van Oyen
H
H
Drieskens
S
S
Quataert
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*